fishspit's Infinity Blade (iPd)

[September 24, 2012 04:13:17 PM]

Infinity Blade is an action game for the IPhone developed by ChAIR and Epic games back in December 2010. The player guides their warrior through a series of increasingly intense one on one duels until the player either triumphs or is killed.

The gameplay is brilliantly intuitive. The player swipes their finger across the screen to strike blows(think Fruit Ninja) or if they match the enemy’s swing they will parry the blow. There are also buttons on the screen that make you block with a shield or dodge left/right. If a player avoids being hit, there is a chance that the enemy will be momentarily stunned, allowing the player a quick flurry of hits before it can raise its guard again. This is easier said than done however: the player must be vigilant in watching the enemy. Some attacks will get around certain defenses. If you dodge in the wrong direction, you will get hit. If you try to block a particularly heavy attack, your shield won’t help. As the enemies get harder to kill, the duels get to be intense tests of player skill.

In addition to the player getting better at fighting, the player’s avatar will get better stats as they kill more enemies. Every kill gains experience, which works towards “mastering” weapons as well as leveling up. Whenever you master a weapon you get to add a point to your stats, and whenever you level up you get to add two. In addition, the player earns/finds “gold” over the course of their adventure, which can be exchanged for weapons/armour that increase your stats.
One of my favorite parts of the game has to be the simply told, but compelling story. The player plays as a nameless swordsman out for revenge against a figure known as “the God-King” who killed the player’s father (in what amounts to a tutorial level). Every time the player dies in the attempt (which will be numerous times as the player gains skill and stats), there is a cut scene that takes place twenty or so years later of a man swearing to avenge his father. This creates a simple cyclical storyline that really enhances the replay value, as well as inspiring a vengeful attitude.
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